Lamp



Feb. 17, 1931. R. D. EVANS 1,793,227

LAMP

Filed April 9, 1930 3v Jdgaj Patented Feb. ,17, 1931 Na T' 5A 'mgg;

ROLAND nnvAns, on GRANITE or'riz, farmers, assrsnon T Eastman-BUCK ManurAcr-Unme COMPANY, or sea. ours, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION on mrssonnr I Application' filed, April 9,1930. Serial No. erases.

Fig.2 iis a section on line of Fig.1. W

I This inventionrelates generally .to lamps or lanternsof the type employed for signaling. and other purposes in connection with the operation of railroad trains, and partie ularlyto. improved, lamps or lanterns of thistype which are provided with hinged or pivoted supporting elements for the lenses of said lamps or-lanterns, the predominant object of thelinvention being to provide an improved hinged-or pivoted lens support for lamps or lanterns which is so constructed andarranged that uniformly close contact is obtained between the. cooperating faces of the lens support and the housing ofthelamp or lantern throughout said cooperating faces.

-.Prior. to this invention'it frequently happened that a hinged or pivoted lens support of a lamp or lanternof the type to which thisinvention relates would contact closely w1th the face of the lamp or;lantern housing with which saidlens support was intended to cooperate at portions, only, of said face.

In other words, a very common condition was for the lens-support to contact with the was intended to closely contactat a point adjacent to the hinge or pivot thereof, while other portions of said lens support were spaced apart from said cooperating face. This condition resulted because of the inflexible and unyielding nature of the lens. supports'which would not permit the lens su 1 port to be drawn into close contact with the entire surface of the face with which the lens support was intended to contact.

To overcome the objections encountered in connection with the use of the lens supports of the type formerly employed, I have devised the lens support disclosed in the present application, which, briefly stated, includes a portion which is adjustable with respect to the lens support proper, and this ad.

face of the lamp or lantern with which it.

'Fig. 3 is a section on'line 33 of Fig. 1 In'the drawing, wherein is shown for the purpose of:illustration, merely, on embodi: ment'of the inventiomA 'designatesthe hous- Y ing of a lamp or lantern of the type used on railroads, said housing being of any'suitable shape and enclosing asuitable light source'- (not shown). .The housing Ais provided I with an opening B formed through the wall thereof, and G designates' an outwardl'y'exsaid-opening. Extended outwardly from the housingA is a pair of lugs D, said lugs lens support, which comprises an outer elementl wh ch comprises an annular portion 2 outwardly from whicha pair of extensions 3 is projected." Theextensions 3 are each provided with an aperture 4, ahd said extensionsare arrranged 'lmmediatelyadwcent to the lugs D,

'so'that the apertures 4 in the extensions 3 are alined' vertically with the apertures D in said lugs. 5 designates a hingepin which passes through the alinedapertures of the lugs D and extensions 3 for the purpose of V hingedly attachingthe lens support S to the housing of the lamp or lantern.

-rrrrangedwithin the annular portion 2 of the lens support is aninner ring 6 which is provided with aninwardly extended, annular flange 7 .The annular flange 7 is intended to contact with the outer edge of the annularflange C which surrounds the opening B formed through the wallof the lamp or lantern housing A. The innerjringfi of V the lens support supports the lens L, said ring being provided with an annular depression 8'in whicha split clamping element 9 is seated, and the marginal edge portion of the lens L is'confined betweenthe annular flange 7 of the inner ring 6 and the split clamping element 9, as shown in Figs. 2 and-3'. V The inner ring 6 is attached to the annular portion 2 of the outer element 1 by means of vertically alined pivots 10', said pivots tended-annular flange Owhich surrounds support S, the inner ring is ca able of slight aivotal movement about avertical axis defined by the vertically alined pivots 10. c The pivotal movement of the inner ring fi'with respect to the annular 1 Jrtion 2- of the outer element 1 is limited by the fact that the annular space between these elementstis slight,

hence, when the inner rin has moved through a slight arc, corners of inner will contact with the inner. the annular portion 2 and prevent fun el pivotal movement of the inner ring.

- 12 designates a. tast of which the l'en's support is maintained in a locked position; I may employ any suit-f able fastening ClGVlCQ'fOl" this purpose,-but

for the sake of completeness o f disclosure I have illustrated the device 12, which eo1n prises a screw-threaded shank. 13 which is screwed into a screw-threaded aperture formed in the wall or" the housing A. A lockingelement 14 is slidably mounted on the smooth" outer portionf15 of the shank l3, and a coil spring 16 urges the locking element 14 toward the housing A; V fhen it is desired to swing the lens support on its hinge away from the housing A,the finger pieces 1% of the locking'element Mare grasped and the entire locking element is moved rearwardly against the action of the coil spring 16. This will permit thelens support to swing in an arc of a circle to an open position without interference from the locking element let.

When the lens support is in an open position and; it is desired to close same, the same methcd is followed, the locking element being drawn rearwardly to permit the lens support to be moved to a closed position, after which the locking element is caused to engage the lens support and retain it in its closed position. 7 i

In the use or" my improved lens support, the pivotally supported inner ring 6 may swing on its'pivots to compensate forirregularities in the vertical plane of the annular flange C. 7 That is to'say, if, as illustrated in an exaggerated manner in Fig. 3, the annular flange C ishigher at the side thereof adjacent to the hinge pin 5, or at the opposite side, the inner ring will adjust itselr" to these irregularities so that when the lens support is drawn to a closed position by the fasten ing device 12 the annular flange 7 of the inng device by means ner ring will, contact closely with the outer edge of theannular flange 0 on the housing, whereby no space will be present between the lens support and the lamp or lantern housing. I claim: r g 1. A-lamp or the like, including a housing provided with an opening, a lens support adapted for arrangement immediately adj acent to said opening, means whereby said lens support is movably supported by said-lious ing, and an independently movable portion constituting a part or" said lens support, said independently movable portion being pivotal-1y supported in place'and being adapted for close contact with a portion of the housing. adjacent to said opening. f L

2. A lamp or the like, including' a housing provided with an opening, a lens support adapted for arrangement immediately adjacentto said opening, means comprisin a hinge whereby said len's 'sup port is movdbly supported by said housing, and an independ' ently movable portion constituting a part of said lens support, said independently movable portion being pivotally supported in place and being adapted for close contact with a portionof the housing adj acentto said opening, said hinge by which tl i'elens su-pport is attached tothe housing and the axis 7 about which said independently movable porallel with respect to each other.

; 3. A lamp or the like, includin a housing provided with" an opening, a 1 lens support adapted for arrangement immediately adj ation pivots being arranged' substantially parcent to said opening, means comprismg a hinge wherebysaid lens support is movably supported by said housing, and an independently movable portion in the form of an annular member constituting a part of-sai'd lens support, said independently movable portion being pivotally'supported in place and being adapted for close contact with a portion of the-housing adjacent to said opening, said hinge by which the lens support is attached to the housing and the axis about which said independently movable portion pivots being arranged substantially parallel with respect to each other.

4. A lamp or the like, includinga housing provided with an opening, a lens support including an annular portion adapted for arrangement immediately adjacent to said openin'g,m'eans comprising a hinge whereby said lens support is movably supported by said housing, and a ring pivotally supported within the annular portion of said lens support and adapted for close contact with a portion of the housing adjacent to said opening. 7 Y 1 5. A lamp or the like, including a housing provided with an opening, a lens support including an annular portion adapted for arrangement immediately adjacent to saidopening, means comprising a hinge whereby said lens support is movably supported'by said housing, and a ring pivotally supported withinithe annular portion of said lens sup- 4 port and adapted for closecontact with a por-t tion of the housing; adjacent to. said opening,

- said hinge by which the lens support is at- 

